If you’re like many of us, you look at the new year as a fresh start, the perfect time to make changes in your life. These changes typically involve your health whether it be your weight, skin, etc. This year, why not take the time to focus on your smile?

Smiling can truly transcend your life by opening many doors and avenues for you to explore and excel in. Smiling releases endorphins which makes you happier and boosts your confidence. Smiling while in social situations enhances your likeability and appeals to your friends, peers, colleagues, and superiors. Your smile paired with your confidence, self-esteem, and likability will catalyze your career and inevitably lead to a higher rate of success.

If you’re like many of us you are excited for these new and welcomed changed when it comes to your overall health, and with dental implants your overall look. With the excitement does come apprehension due to the surgery itself and the recovery process. After all, what does recovering from dental implant surgery look like? Well, as luck would have it your local periodontist, Modern Dental Implant Solutions can break it down for you. 

First, it is important to remember that not all recoveries look the same. It’s essential to keep in mind that all mouths are not created equal and that your mouth looks vastly different than that of your neighbors, coworkers, friends and the like. Therefore, there is no one size fits all cookie cutter answer to what the recovery process will look like. This recovery overview puts the process into parameters some that may align with you directly and some that may be extremely close, while others may be a little bit different. If you begin your recovery journey and think something may be off it’s best to call your periodontal team to assess the situation. 

The First Two Days

After the procedure, recovery explanations, and your discharge paperwork you are ready to leave the office and start recovering from home. You will likely have gauze covering the surgical site which can be removed anywhere from 30-60 minutes after leaving the office. It’s important to monitor the bleeding after removing the initial gauze. If you are noticing decreased bleeding you don’t need to reapply the gauze, however, if the bleeding continues reapply another piece of gauze while applying pressure with your bite and check after 20 or so minutes. 

Bleeding after surgery is completely normal and should be expected. It’s okay to be concerned about it but don’t be alarmed unless the bleeding will not stop, seems very heavy, or if it is accompanied by light headedness and or disorientation. If the bleeding is excessive and is a cause for concern trust your instinct and call our office for additional help and instruction. 

Tenderness after surgery is also to be expected. This should be in your after care plan as well so that while you’re recovering you know what the site should look and feel like. We recommend not to eat anything hard, brush the site rigorously, or do anything to prevent healing, cause injury, or open the wound. Swelling is also very likely in the first day to two days. You can combat swelling with an ice pack to the outside of the mouth as needed for the first two days. We strongly advise that all heavy lifting and other various strenuous activities be omitted or heavily restricted during the first initial days to allow the site to heal promptly and efficiently.  

Have you been considering dental implants but you’re worried about the turn around time and how long you’ll be without teeth? Don’t let the unknown deter you, the process may be a lot easier than you think!  Our goal is to make sure you are Never without teeth throughout the whole process. At Modern Dental Implant Solutions® we are dedicated to transparency and explain the entire process of dental implants from start to finish including price points, timeline, pain expectations and so much more. As your local five star rated dental implant specialists we aim to provide an all encompassing overview for you in the quick timeline below. 

What is a typical timeline for An Implant Tooth Replacement?

Depending on your overall oral health, getting dental implants can take as little as 4-6 months, or up to 12 months or longer. Take a look at the dental implant timeline below to get a step-by-step breakdown of what’s involved in the process:

1. Initial Consultation – 1 Day

Your initial consultation with our dentist will determine whether or not you’re a good candidate for implants. Through a complimentary comprehensive implant exam and x-rays,he will ensure that your mouth is healthy for implants. If your treatment is approved, you’ll be ready to schedule your implant surgery, YAY!

Pre-Treatment Surgeries – 3-12 Months

In some cases, you may need pre-treatment surgeries like a bone graft to fill in areas that lack  bone, a tooth extraction to make room for an implant restoration, or bone smoothing (alveoloplasty) to prepare for an implant. Depending on your situation and oral health, it could take anywhere from 3-6 months to fully recover from these treatments. If you don’t need any pretreatment surgeries you’ll immediately go into the next phase.

2. Implant Placement – 1-2 Weeks

Your implant will be placed about 1-2 weeks after your initial consultation if no Pre-treatment surgery is necessary. Your doctor will use the treatment plan to place your implant directly into your gum and jaw bone. The area will be cleaned and stitched closed to promote healing, and you’ll be sent home.  

After you have had the Implant itself placed and it has been allowed to heal for approximately 3-6 months, one of our Dr’s will take the necessary x-rays to determine if it is time for the Final Impression.    

If all looks good on the x-ray in regards to bone integration with the implant our Dr. and his team will take the Final Impression for the Dental Implant Crown. 

This appointment is generally about 1 hour in length.  The impressions of your teeth and implant abutment will be sent to the dental lab where they will fabricate your dental implant crown.  Approximately 3-5 weeks later we are ready to Insert your new Dental Implant Crown, the part that looks like your Tooth!

Placing the Implant Crown

At this stage, the dentist will insert the implant crown.  As mentioned, when possible, and dependent on patient’s specifics, a screw retained crown will be fabricated and inserted for the final implant crown. 

If the cement technique will be used, they will put dental cement inside the dental crown and place it over the implant. The patient will have to wait a few minutes for the cement to set. Any excess cement will be cleaned out, and the dentist will recheck the bite. If the screw mechanism will be used, the dentist will simply screw the dental crown over the abutment until it is firmly in place. Unlike a cement-retained dental crown, screwed-in crowns are easily removable.  This is typically the best practice implant crown of choice when possible. 

Congratulations, you can now smile and use your Implant and Implant Crown!

Everyone knows that smoking can damage your natural smile, but what can it do to dental implants? This oral cancer awareness month, we’re reminding you to book an appointment with your local periodontist, who can help you improve your oral health!

Does Smoking Affect Dental Implants?

In addition to increasing your risk of developing oral cancer, smoking can harm dental implants. There are a variety of ways this may happen, but all of them can be avoided by stopping or lessening your smoking habit.

The first issue is that smoking can hasten and worsen bone loss. This is bad news for everyone, but dental implant recipients also risk losing their implants. As the bone fades away, the implanted anchors loosen, and they may eventually break free. This is especially true during the three months immediately after implant placement.

Nicotine, which is found in cigarettes, also restricts blood flow. This reduces the speed at which you heal, and it can easily result in a major infection

Sleep apnea affects many parts of the body most notably your brain and your heart. What you may not know is that sleep apnea can also cause serious complications with your dental implants. That’s why it’s important to bring up your sleep apnea issues and concerns with your local periodontist.

Many people have reported issues with areas that tie to the implant itself like the crown, bridge or the connector piece. This is mostly due to bruxism that accompanies sleep apnea and it’s repetitive apneas throughout the course of sleep.

Let’s be honest: chances are, you’re not all that excited about the idea of getting implants. Many believe it’s too unpleasant to be worth the effort, especially for something so seemingly minor. And while there are plenty who view a couple missing teeth as purely cosmetic, this simply isn’t the case. Rather, you should be getting those dental implants done as soon as possible. Here’s four reasons why.

1. Discomfort

The first and most noticeable effect of postponing your dental implants is the resulting pains and discomfort. Chewing will naturally be more difficult, and as you naturally shift to the side of the mouth with no missing teeth, you’ll end up using that side alone. This leads to strain on the side you’re using, which in turn causes more pain. Though you may be concerned about the pain of an implant, keep in mind that the sooner you get it over with, the less painful it’ll be.

2. Shifting Teeth

When well maintained, your teeth will more or less keep each other in place. However, if one is missing, the others will shift to fill the gap. As a result, your teeth will very quickly end up crooked, and chances are, sore. In addition, it’s possible that the bone surrounding the missing tooth will atrophy, losing mass and even changing the structure and shape of your face. And sure, that can be repaired as well, but that’s time and money that doesn’t need to be spent.

Whether you need a few teeth replaced or a full new set of teeth, dental implants are your best and most reliable option. More secure and comfortable than dentures, crowns, and veneers, dental implants also look incredibly natural and can be created to mimic the look of your original smile. A beautiful option that looks and feels natural, dental implants are also fairly easy to care for.

In this guide, we’ll share five simple tips to help you keep your smile looking and feeling amazing after your dental implants are installed. Much like your natural teeth, dental implants require regular cleaning and upkeep, but it’s nothing you can’t manage with just a few minutes of dedicated time each day.

1. Floss Regularly

If you’re getting dental implants, you still need to floss regularly post-procedure. It’s common for plaque to build up around new dental implants, causing bad breath (halitosis), bacterial buildup, and potential for decay. After receiving your dental implants, be sure to floss at least once a day, or ideally, after every meal to prevent food from building up between your new teeth.

2. Clean With a Soft-Bristle Toothbrush

Did you know that hard-bristle toothbrushes can scratch your dental implants? To avoid unnecessary wear and tear, gently clean your implants with a soft-bristle toothbrush twice per day, once in the morning, and once at night. Soft bristles will not only help protect your implants, but will also do a more thorough job cleaning between your teeth and along the gum line.